Convertible blower/vacuum units (also referred to herein as “blower/vacs”) are commonly used by homeowners and professionals alike for the removal of debris from yards, driveways, sidewalks, etc. As used herein, a convertible blower/vac is a portable device that is capable of being configured for use as either a blower or vacuum.
When used in the blower configuration, a generally tapered blower tube may be attached to a housing of the blower/vac. An impeller may be used to draw air into the housing through an air inlet and exhaust an accelerated air stream through an air outlet. The tapered blower tube, which is typically removably coupled to the air outlet, may provide a focused air stream of substantial velocity to sweep or blow debris.
When used as a vacuum, a removable vacuum tube may be attached to the air inlet and a bag or other debris container may attach, in place of the blower tube, to the air outlet. As a result, the blower/vac may permit leaves or similar debris to be vacuumed through the vacuum tube and collected in the container.
While more than effective for their intended purpose, conventional blower/vacs can require several separate pieces, e.g., blower tube, vacuum tube, vacuum bag, etc. to allow reconfiguration between the two operating modes. Moreover, multiple steps may be necessary to reconfigure some blower/vacs from one mode to the other.